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We Will Defend the Right of People with Disabilities to Live in the Community
A Statement on the Department of Justice’s Opinion
Undermining the Olmstead Integration Mandate
The Arc New York stands in firm opposition to the June 18, 2026 opinion issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, which seeks to undermine the protections established by Olmstead v. L.C., and threatens the fundamental right of people with disabilities to live and receive services in the community. The Olmstead decision recognized the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities as discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Challenging that decision is an affront to the values of dignity, opportunity, and justice that have guided our work for more than 75 years.
We will not stand silent while the rights generations of advocates fought to secure are undermined.
The DOJ opinion does not change the law. It does, however, signal the executive branch's intent to abandon its longstanding role as the nation's primary enforcer of the integration mandate. It tells Americans with disabilities that the federal government no longer intends to defend their right to live, work, and participate fully in community life.
The Arc New York was founded by parents who refused to accept institutionalization for their children. For more than 75 years, we have worked to dismantle segregation, build a system of community-based supports, and expand opportunity and dignity for people with disabilities. Our landmark federal lawsuit exposed the horrors of the Willowbrook State School and began closing New York's institutions. Today, through our Chapters statewide, we support tens of thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.
We know what institutions look like. We tore them down. We will not allow them to be rebuilt.
We call on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to reaffirm New York's commitment to community living and protect funding for home and community-based services, regardless of federal disengagement. We call on New York's congressional delegation to exercise oversight, reject Medicaid cuts that would hollow out community services, and pursue legislation codifying the Olmstead mandate in federal statute.
And to the people and families we serve: Community living is not a privilege. It is a civil right. We will defend it.
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